Letters to the editor: Event bigger than Bushes, Cheney?

They claim this is a bigger event than both President Bushes and Dick Cheney. Too bad they couldn't afford Honey Boo Boo.

David GreenErie

Hotel guarantee

questioned

Erie's waterfront is set to take off and become the jewel many have envisioned.

The Erie County Convention Center Authority is trying to complicate issues by building an affordable alternative to the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel adjacent to the Bayfront Convention Center. It would use a $25 million grant from Gov. Tom Corbett to start the project that was brokered in secret through state Sen. Sean Wiley's office.

The authority's Roger Richards has now turned his energy toward the county executive and County Council to receive a guarantee to enable the authority to go out and float a bond to pay for a second hotel.

When does a private citizen have the ability to gain an audience with and try to direct the finances of our county government? The authority is already the beneficiary of a hotel-motel tax, and has also benefited from the unrestricted gaming funds for both the Sheraton and Erie Insurance Arena.

I am willing to accept that we were duped into guaranteeing the Sheraton, but we should not be guaranteeing another hotel, especially when private developers are ready to invest their own money in our bayfront.

The Erie Times-News had a poll in the editorial section several weeks ago asking whether public money should be used to build a hotel on the bayfront. The answer was a resounding 96 percent no, 4 percent yes.

Authorities in our community have lost their way when they become the obstacle to private development instead of the enabler.

Richard WagnerErie

Too many people

just want handout

There has been a lot said and written about the food stamp program in recent days. There is no doubt that the cutting back of the program will have an effect on a lot of people. There is a need for programs like this to help people, but it is not meant to become a way of life.

When my mother and father divorced in the mid 1950s, she was left to support four children the best she could. She worked for not much more than minimum wage, but we managed to get by with the help of "surplus food." There were others in the neighborhood who also got surplus food, but the goal of everyone was to get off it as soon as possible. Today, however, it seems just the opposite. Look around you. We all know someone who has lived off the system for two or three generations. This is what is dividing our country.

There are so many who "can't work" but are able to do the enjoyable things in life: hunting, fishing, bowling, dancing and on and on.

Don't get me wrong. I know there are people who are unable to work. But a large percentage who say they are unable to work could very well put in a 40-hour workweek. I'm very willing to help those who help themselves, but I'm sick of helping those who want a handout.

Dan CaseyErie

Watch your friends

I would like to comment on life in the political arena.

In politics, you don't have to worry about your enemies. You have to worry about your friends.

James GildersleeveErie

Voter ID ruling

draws criticism

On Jan. 17, a Commonwealth Court judge threw out the ID law ("State's voter ID mandate tossed," Erie Times-News, Jan. 18). Nice, huh? He said that it would not make a difference in voter fraud.

Well, when you have entire districts not only vote for one candidate, but they also have more counted votes than people registered to vote in the district, would you call that voter fraud?

Maybe when you find votes have not been turned in for a week or so after the election. Is it a surprise that the votes found are 10 or 15 votes more than needed for a chosen candidate to win?

Do we need to fight fraud? You bet we do. Will we get it? No. When the state of Pennsylvania becomes one big wasteland like other cities or states, maybe we will wake up.

Ed HodgesCorry

Editor's note: In the case upon which the judge's ruling was based, the Corbett administration could not produce one example of voter impersonation in Pennsylvania.

Fair Tax plan

deserves support

With U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, R-3rd Dist., taking considerable time to effectively address the issue of tax reform in the past four years, I hope the congressman will continue this record and vote to move HR 25 out of the Ways and Means Committee and into formal debate in the House of Representatives.

HR 25 is the Fair Tax plan that overhauls the tax structure by eliminating the Internal Revenue Service and eliminating all personal and corporate incomes taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, Social Security and Medicare taxes. Under the Fair Tax plan, the replacement would be a single federal sales tax administered by state authorities.

This plan would eliminate inefficiency and loopholes and promote transparency.

The members of the 3rd Congressional District want to keep 100 percent of their paychecks, 100 percent of their pensions and 100 percent of their Social Security checks. In the wake of the IRS scandals and the continued confusion of the current tax structure, it is time for our legislators to take meaningful action to advance common sense ideas. HR 25 is common sense.

Erik LechnerErie

'Blessings' are aplenty

Recently there have been a few letters written about snow, and whether or not God is benevolent.

Snow truly is like a blanket, insulating the soil and protecting plants and animals.

Last summer, I was talking to a man who had well water. He was complaining that even though he had a rainy spring, his well water was low. He said he didn't get much snow, which seeps into the ground as it melts, whereas rain tends to run off.

So it seems snow can be a blessing. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go shovel my blessings.